EP 357 - The Only Tech You Need to Start a Coaching Business in 2026

MarketingCoaching Lifestyle
Written By Debbie Shadid
 

If you've ever wanted to throw your computer across the room because it froze in the middle of a recording, this video is for you. Most of the tech frustration you're blaming on yourself has nothing to do with you, it has everything to do with your equipment.

This is Part 1 of a 2-part tech series for coaches. In this one we're covering the hardware you actually need, and the next episode covers the software, so you don't have to stress about either one.

If you're new to my channel, my name is Debbie Shadid. I'm a Business Growth and Life Coach and the founder of the Business Building Boutique. For over two decades, I've helped women learn how to become coaches, get clients, grow their businesses, and create meaningful income doing work they love.

Here's the part most people get wrong. You don't need to buy anything today. You can start with the laptop you already have and the phone in your hand, then upgrade over time as your business grows.

In this episode, we'll walk through:

  • Why most of your tech frustration is the equipment's fault, not yours

  • What to look for in a phone so your video and photos actually look good

  • Why memory, not storage, is what stops the spinning wheel on your computer

  • How AppleCare gives you peace of mind when something goes wrong

  • What to add later, like a microphone, an external camera, and the right lighting

  • Why you should skip the ring light, even if you wear glasses

When your equipment supports you instead of fighting you, everything feels calmer. You stop dreading the record button and start showing up like the professional you are. Your gear is part of your storefront, and the videos you create become a living legacy, the work that keeps changing lives long after the recording stops.

Ready to build your coaching business the simple, sustainable way? Book your free Blueprint Call with me at https://debbieshadid.com/schedule

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Transcript

If you've ever wanted to throw your computer across the room because it froze in the middle of a recording, you need to hear this. Most of the tech frustration you are blaming on yourself has nothing to do with you. It has everything to do with the equipment. Today, I'm gonna walk you through exactly what you need to run your coaching business and what you can skip for now, because I know the money matters, so let's figure out what you need to invest in today. Hi there, I'm Debbie Shadid. I help women over 50 build profitable boutique-style coaching businesses. If that is you, make sure you subscribe because I put out videos every single week to help you build your business with simple strategies. This is the first of a couple of episodes. This one is about tech. I will be creating one about software so that you don't have to stress about that one either. Here's what I want you to know before we go into the entire list: you do not need to buy anything today. You can start your coaching business with a laptop, with a laptop that you already have, and the phone that is in your hand. That is it. So if money is tight, don't let the equipment be the reason that you do not start your coaching business. But I'll tell you, I run my business like a boutique. You guys have heard me talk about that, building your boutique-style coaching business. And if you imagine a boutique that you walk into, listen, the front door would not be broken, the light would not be out, Your equipment is part of your storefront. Over time, the things that you invest in, you want them to be better than what you have right now. And I can tell you that you will feel calm in your business when you have the right equipment instead of aggravated. I want to start with your phone. We all have a phone, and this is a critical part of our coaching business. And maybe right now you're like,"Okay, I'm not gonna use my phone to record anything." Guess what? You are. You are going to be recording yourself because even if you are uncomfortable recording your face at first, you will be doing what's called B-roll, which is recording other things. What happens on the phone is that we buy the smallest, least expensive phone, and now I'm gonna tell you you need to spend a little bit more money. There's a couple of details that I want you to know. First, you want to have a good quality camera, and I highly recommend using Apple products only. I'm gonna explain to you why. So the good camera's important because you're gonna be filming yourself, and you want to look good. And second, you want to have extra storage on your phone. Now, I know there's cloud storage, and a lot of you are using that already, but you want to have storage on your phone so that all the videos that you're creating or all the photos you're taking can stay there until you upload them to your computer. So get yourself an Apple phone and honestly, get one of the best that you can get. My personal favorite, I'm gonna link in the comments below. There's a resource guide that's gonna have everything that we're talking about. so let's talk about your computer. This is the next big piece, your phone and your computer. Those are the two things that you're gonna run your business on. Now, your computer, start with what you've got, but what I want you to understand is if your computer is getting that spinning wheel, you know what that is? It's because it doesn't have enough memory, and I don't mean storage. It's called random memory, and that is what operates the software. And as a coach, you're going to be running various softwares, whether it's Canva, whether it's editing software, or something along those lines, and most of the time you're gonna have more than one thing open at a time. And you probably know that the spinning wheel comes up when you're doing too many things or too many things are open on your computer. So when you walk into the Apple Store or when you get online, I'll leave a link for the computer I'm using right now in the comments. You want to get one that has better random memory. And then as far as storage goes, it doesn't have to be a big capacity because you're actually gonna store everything in the cloud. With that computer, you want to have AppleCare. It is like your insurance policy. Not just if something breaks or, if it gets stolen. They even have theft insurance. What you really need it for is just peace of mind. If something is going on with your computer, you don't wanna have to hassle over it. You wanna be able to take it into the Apple Store or send it in or get on the phone with them and get answers to what's happening, and you wanna be able to get it replaced if you need to. It is so important, that peace of mind that comes with having that AppleCare. And yeah, it's $100 a year or so, worth it because we're talking about the main thing that you use to operate your business. Next, I wanna talk to you about additional screens. Now, I use, an Apple Studio Display. The reason why I picked that is because the quality of the picture that comes up is very high, and I don't have good vision, so having it crystal clear is really easy on the eyes for me, and I look at my computer all day long. So you can go buy one at Sam's or at any of the big box stores or even online for, like, 100 bucks, But the Apple display is 27 inches. It is more money, but for me it's worth it. I wanna talk about how long I keep my equipment. So while the Apple is more of an investment, I'm able to use it for a long, long time. Your computer and your phone, on the other hand, I will encourage you to update every few years. I just updated my laptop to the MacBook Pro, and I will tell you, I should have done it sooner. While I had a computer that was even better than what they have in store, I custom ordered it from Apple in 2019, so it's lasted me a long time. So it was a good computer, but I waited too long. When I tried to transfer things from that computer to the new computer, a lot of the stuff won't transfer because software changes, technology changes, so I'm kinda stuck. If I would've had a different computer in between, something like three years ago, everything would've transferred to that computer, and then it would transfer to this one. So those are all the details you need to know. I also purchased a MacBook Air this year. I keep a second computer just in case. I typically travel with that one and I have this one at home, but it's just nice. I keep my office set up and then I have one where I can be downstairs with it or outside sitting on the patio with that extra computer. So that's just me. Having an extra computer is not necessary, but for me it's peace of mind knowing that no matter what would happen, if I was in the middle of a webinar or workshop or my coaching calls, if something happens with one computer, I can get on the other computer. Okay, couple other quick accessories I want to tell you about is a microphone. While you do not need that now, you do not need that now, you hear me? It is really something that you might consider getting at some point. Add it to your list of things that you want. I even have coaches that put it on their Christmas list. You could do that. I use the Yeti microphone and it does increase the quality of the sound and you don't realize it until you listen to yourself through your computer sound versus through the Yeti microphone. Then you're like, okay, I get it. There is a big difference here. One other thing that's nice is the Yeti microphone picks up your voice, but it is designed so it doesn't pick up noises behind. So my barking dogs, a lot of the times you can't hear them when they are barking because it's not picking up the sound from the back, which is super nice. An external camera. That's the next thing you wanna add to your list for someday. Looking good on camera does matter. Having a camera that is more quality and that looks better, and you're not gonna know until you record yourself on your desktop or laptop that you currently have, then you get an extra camera and you put it on. I use the Logitech camera. I'll link that below. You'll see what the difference is. It's remarkable. You can set it so that you can bring in more light, which is one of the things that I think is most important that most people get wrong, is they don't have enough light in their room. The last thing that I want you to get is an external light. Do not go buy a ring light. Do not. Doesn't matter whether you wear glasses or not, you still see the ring in your eye, and I believe it's very distracting. So if you already have a ring light, then use it. But otherwise, if you need a light, I'm gonna link my favorite light in the show notes. It comes with a remote so you can turn it on and turn it off. It has white light or warm light. You can turn it up to different brightnesses. I use it all the time. So I highly recommend that as well. I do recommend, that you upgrade your computer equipment every couple of three years, and don't buy the cheapest, okay? You're investing in the future of your business, and you want it to look good, and you want it to sound good, and you wanna be able to run your business without frustration. It will save you time when you have something that is more quality and more up-to-date. The last thing I wanna tell you is you're leaving a legacy. Not just a financial legacy with this business, but you are leaving a living legacy through the video that you create, through the programs, through the coaching that you do that changes people's lives. The legacy might be for your kids or your grandkids or for those people whose lives get changed by your coaching. Either way, make sure that you have the equipment that supports what it is that you want to do. Yeah, we wanna leave a financial legacy, but also that legacy of what people will be able to see that lives on even after we're done with our business. Thank you so much. I hope this was useful to you. I know for me it's been so confusing about what kind of equipment I should have, and this really, I hope, simplifies it for you. Make sure you subscribe. In an upcoming episode, I am gonna talk about all the software. It is so much simpler than you think to operate a business with just a few pieces of software. Okay, have a beautiful day. Bye-bye.

Debbie Shadid https://www.DebbieShadid.com
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EP 356 - Why Coaches Have an Offer But Still No Paying Clients (2026)